Upper guide for band-saw mills.



No. 776,964. PATENTBD DEC. 6, 1904.

E. E. THOMAS. v UPPER GUIDE FOR BAND SAW MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.11, 1904.

no 140mm. 2 SHEETS-BEBET 1,

NIT/YCJQ'CJ AUNT/7701'? NiTnn STATES Patented December 6, 1904'...

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN E. THOMAS, OF TACOMA. WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO WILLA- METTE IRON &STEEL WORKS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, A CORPO- RATION.

UPPER GUIDE FOR BAND-SAW MILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,964, dated December6, 1904.

Application filed January 11, 1904. Serial No. 188,422- (No model.)

To (all, ZU/LO'IH/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN E. THOMAS, of

Tacoma, Pierce county, Washington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Upper (Jruid cs for Band-Saw Mills, of which thefollowing is a specilication.

The object of my invention is to provide an upper guide of simpleconstruction having a minimum number of Working joints and parts thatrender the device easy to keep in accurate adjustment and comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture and repair.

A further object is to provide a guide of comparatively light weight andone that can be easily and quickly counterbalanced and operated'and atthe same time thoroughly efficient for the purpose designed.

A further object is to provide a guide of small compact constructionthat will swing vertically when struck by a log or carriage moving ineither direction and which can be easily mounted in its working positionand will not materially obstruct the sawyers view.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription.

The invention consists generally in a vertically-swinging upper guidepivotally supported near one end and having an upwardlycurved undersurface at its other end.

Further, the invention consists in providing a vertically-swinging guidehaving upwardly inclined or curved, surfaces on both sides of the normalposition of the saw therein.

Further, the invention consists in pivoting the guide above the level ofthe surfaces that are struck by the log or carriage.

Further, the invention consists in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side elevation of a band-saw mill with my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the upper portion of the mill,showing the position of the guide thereon. Fig. 3 is a plan View showingthe manner of supporting the gulde on the mill.

In the drawings, 2 represents the base of a mill, beneath which is alower bandwheel shaft 3, supported by hangers etand provided with adriven pulley and a belt 5,.that drives, through suitable mechanism, alumber-roll 5".

Upon the base 2, I arrange brackets or pedestals 6, provided withupright sleeves or bearings 7 for the columns 8 that telescopetherewith. These columns have bearings 8 for the upper band-wheel shaft9 and are connected to chains 10, that are secured to the curved facesof rocker-arms 11, operativcly connected with a tension mechanism 12,that forms the subject-matter of a companion ap* plication herewith. Theupper band-wheel 13 is connected with the lower wheel by asaw 1a, whichI have shown provided with two cutting edges; but it will be understoodthat I do not confine myself to the use of a double cutting-saw, as myimproved upper guide will be fully as efficient with a saw having asingle cutting edge. r

The upper end of one of the brackets 6 is provided with a guide 15,whereon a casting 16, forming a support for the upper guide, isvertically slidable. This casting is raised or lowered to vary theheight of the upper guide with respect to the log and carriage by meansof a steam-cylinder 17, having its piston connected to a rocking bar 18,pivoted at a point intermediate to its ends and connected by a link 19with the support 16. A lever 20 has suitable connections with a valve(not shown) for controlling the admission of steam to said cylinder.

The mechanism heretofore described, except the saw tension mechanism, issimilar to that shown in various types of band-saw mills heretoforeinvented by me, and I make no claim, broadly, to the same in thisapplication, the saw tension mechanism, as hereto fore stated, formingthe subject-matter of another application.

I will now proceed to describe in detail the upper guide for theband-saw in which the novelty of this case resides.

23 represents astud projecting horizontally from the support 16 andwhereon a sleeve 24E is loosely mounted. At the outer end of the sleeve,preferably integral therewith, is the guide proper, 25, having anupwardly-turned free end 26 corresponding in shape substantially to thenose of a shoe or runner and bifurcated to receive the saw, the usualblocks 27 being provided, with which the saw contacts. Theupwardly-turned end 26 forms a curved under surface 28 at the free endof the guide to be struck by the log or carriage, and a similar surface,29, is provided between the bifurcation and the pivot of the guide,which, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is considerably above thelevel of the contacting surfaces, where it will be out of the path of alog or the carriage. The sleeve 24 is also provided with an arm 30,projecting in the direction opposite to that of the guide 25 andcarrying an adjustable counterweight 31, by means of which the guide canbe nicely balanced, so that it will freely swing on its pivot inavertical direction when struck by a log or the carriage moving ineither direction. The sleeve 24c is also provided with a lug 32, adaptedto engage a stop 33 on a collar 34:, that is adjustably secured on thestud 23 and serves to limit the downward-swinging movement of the guide25. The adjustable feature of this stop allows the guide to be swung toany desired angle; but it is arranged, preferably, to support the guidein a substantially horizontal position, as shown in full lines in Figs.1 and 2.

The operation of my improved guide is as follows: The operator havingadjusted the guide-support at the desired elevation with respect to thelog-carriage and the logs to be sawed will set the carriage in motiontoward the saw, and should the log come in contact with the guide whenmoved in either direction the guide will swing freely and easily on itspivot in a vertical direction to the position shown by dotted lines inFig. 1 and will return to its normal position after the passage of thelog. The under surfaces of the guide being upwardly turned on both sidesof the saw, it will be immaterial in which direction the log or carriageis moving, as the guide will swing as freely when struck on one side ason the other. The guide-support is adjusted to a suitable height for thelog on the carriage, and the sawing operation is carried on, theadjustment of the guide being altered from time to time to suit thecharacter of the logs being sawed.

If it is desired to remove the guide from the saw in order that all thespace between the upper band-wheel and the head-blocks may be utilizedin sawing large logs having deep cuts, the guide-support is firstlowered until the free end of the guide can be swung vertically to clearthe band-wheel. Then the guide is tilted to a vertical position(indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2) and moved upward with its supportuntil it is out of the path of the log, where it will remain until againrequired to guide the saw in sawing smaller logs.

It will be noted that the guide is extremely simple in construction andhaving very few working joints and parts can be easily and accuratelyadjusted. It is light, compact, and easily handled, occupies acomparatively small space on the mill, and in no way interferes with thesawyers view of the work.

1 claim as my invention 1. An upper guide for band-saw mills, pivotallysupported near one end and upwardly inclined at its other end, the pivotof said guide being its only connection with the mill.

2. An upper guide for band-saw mills, pivotally supported near one end,the opposite free end of said guide being upwardly inclined and arrangedto swing vertically on its pivot and assume a horizontal position toguide the saw or a vertical one out of the path of the saw, and a stopfor limiting the downward swinging movement of said guide.

3. An upper guide for band-mills, pivotally supported near one end, theopposite free end of said guide being provided with an upwardlyinclinedunder surface, the pivot of said guide being above the level of saidsurface, and a counterbalance for said guide.

at. An upper guide for band-saw mills, pivotally supported near one end,the opposite free vertically-swinging end of said guide being upwardlyinclined, the pivot of said guide being above its free end, and a stopfor limiting the downward movement of said free end.

5. An upper guide for band-saws, pivotally supported near one end andhaving an upwardly-turned nose at its other free end, a counterbalancefor said guide located on the opposite side of the guide-pivot from saidfree end and adapted to hang below said pivot when said free end israised to a vertical position above it.

6. An upper guide for band-saws, pivotally supported near one end andbifurcated at its opposite end to receive a saw, and having anupwardly-inclined under surface between its support and saidbifurcation.

7. An upper guide for band-saws, pivotally supported near one end andbifurcated at its free opposite end to receive a saw, the under surfacesof said guide upon both sides of the normal position of the saw in saidbifurcation being upwardly inclined.

8. An upper guide for band-saws, pivotally supported near one end andbifurcated at its opposite free end to receive a saw, and havingumvardly-inclined under surfaces upon each side of the normal positionof the saw in said bifurcation, the pivot of said guide being above thelevel of its normal working position.

9. The con1bination,with a vertically-adjustable support and a studhorizontally mounted thereon, of a band-saw guide pivoted near one endon said stud and having its opposite end free to swing vertically andbifurcated to receive a saw, and the under surface of said free endbeing upwardly inclined, and a counteradjustahle support and a studhorizontally mounted thereon, of a sleeve loosely mounted on said stud,a band-saw guide projecting from one side of said sleeve into the pathof the saw and having a free vertically-swinging end, anoppositely-projecting arm having a counterbalance-weight also mounted onsaid sleeve, a lug provided on said sleeve, and a collar adjustablymounted on said stud and having a stop in the path of said lug.

12. An upper guide for band-saw mills, pivotally supported near one endand having an upwardly-inclined under edge at its opposite end, saidguide being free to swing vertically on its pivot and assume ahorizontal guiding positioni or the saw or a vertical one out of thepath of the saw.

13. An upper guide for band-saws, pivotally supported and having afreeend provided with an upwardly-inclined lower edge and a counterbalancecarried by said guide on the opposite side of its pivot from said freeend, said counterbalance being at one side of said pivot when said guideis in its normal working position and below said pivot when said guideis in its vertical inoperative position.

let. The combination, with a stud, of a sleeve loosely mounted thereon,a band-saw guide projecting from said sleeve on one side, anoppositely-projecting arm having a counterbalanceweight carried by saidsleeve, a lug provided on said sleeve, and an adjustable stop mounted onsaid stud in the path of said lug.

15. An upper guide for band-saw mills, pivotally supported and having afree end pro vided with an upwardly-inclined lower surface, said guidebeing free to swing vertically and offering no resistance except its ownweight to the force of the log.

16. An upper guide for band-saw mills pivotally supported and providedwith an upwardly-inclined under surface upon each side of the normalposition of the saw in said guide, said guide being free to swingvertically and offering no resistance except its own weight to the forceof the log.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this lth day of January,1904.

EDWIN E. THOMAS,

In presence of IIER'BERI. S. Games, M. I'IAGERTY.

